Monthly Archives: February 2014

Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors.

How does one transgress in supplicating? Ibn Taymiyyah (May Allah have mercy on him) said, “Transgression in supplication occurs in different ways. A person becomes transgressors n his supplications if he does one of the following:

– he asks Allah to help him in something that is haram

– asking Allah to do things that Allah does not do such as he wants to live forever, to make him no longer require things that are necessary to human’s need like food and drink

– asking to do what Allah hates

Transgression is also interpreted to mean raising one’s voice as one is supplicating

Abdullah ibn Mughaffal heard his son say, “O Allah, for when I enter Paradise, I ask You for the white castle that is to the right of Paradise”. Abdullah said, “My son, ask Allah for Paradise, and take refuge with him from the Hellfire, for indeed the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasalam) say,

“Verily there will be in this nation who will transgress in their purification and suplication.”

2. When one is supplicating, it is disliked for him to think up an invocation of rhyming words

One should not be extravagant or affected when he invokes Allah and concocting an invocation of rhyming words. True, some of the Prophet’s sallallahu alaihi wasalam supplications contain a sequence of phrases whose ending rhymes, when rhyming did occur, it was not intentional but rather from his (sallallahu alaihi wasalam) eloquence.

Ibn Abbas said to Ikrimah,

Watch out for rhymed supplications and avoid them, for I know that the Messenger salllalahu alaihi wasalam and his companions would do exactly that. (Bukhari)

3. Asking help for sinning or breaking off ties of relation, or being impatient for the answer to one’s supplication

The following prevents one’s supplication from being unanswered

i. One invokes Allah to help him perform an unlawful act

ii. One invokes Allah to help him sever ties with his relatives

iii. One becomes impatient in waiting for his supplications to be answered

Abu Hurairah related that Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasalam said,

A slave will continue to be answered (in his supplication) , as long as he doesn’t invoke for a sin (to be carried out) or for breaking ties of thw womb and as long as he does not rush. It was said, “O Messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihi wasalam, and what is rushing?” He said, “he says, “I supplicated and I supplicated,but I did not see my (supplication) answered; at that point he becomes weary and forsakes supplication.”

The answer to one’s supplication might be delayed due to the wisdom of Allah that is hidden from him. Allah’s choice for us is far better than what we ask for ourselves. Be persistent in our invocation, in humility, he must not be impatient when the answer of the supplication is delayed.

So even if we does everything that is required for us to to have our supplication be answered, we still might not get what we asked for.

Have trust in Allah. It does not mean that Allah does not love you. Alah does not give because he is stingy rather because he is saving for something that is far more better for you. he is the One who creates you and the One who is in control of His creation, and thus has full knowledge of what is good for you.

1. to compel something or someone against his/her wishes
2. to subdue
3. to overcome
4. to force

Thus, with regards to Allah (سبحانه وتعال), the noble name Al-Qahhar can be translated as “the Subduer, i.e. the Subduer of His creatures by His sovereign authority and power and the Disposer of them as He pleases, with and against their will.”

Along with ٱلۡعَزِيزُ (the Powerful and Honorable) and ٱلۡجَبَّارُ (the Strong and Powerful), this noble name illustrates that Allah(سبحانه وتعال) has the supreme authority and power to do anything, and He can subdue or force anyone to compel to Allah’s Will against his/her wishes. This supreme power rests with only Allah (سبحانه وتعال).

Al-Imran: 83

Do they seek other than the religion of Allah, while to Him submitted all creatures in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly. And to Him shall they all be returned.

In this verse, Allah (سبحانه وتعال) is telling us that everything that is created submits to Allah (سبحانه وتعال) willingly or unwillingly, such is the power and force of Al-Qahhar. If we ponder over this ayah and look around us, we will see the amazing truth in it. For example, the gravity of earth and the planets ensure that humans can only make an object go only so far. The limitations of the body ensure that we can only go at a certain top speed and nothing more. Regardless of how advanced the technology becomes, this technology will be compelled and will be subdued by Al-Qahhar to comply to His will, whether it is willingly or unwillingly. That shows how finite and limited we are, and how grand, powerful and majestic is Allah (سبحانه وتعال).

Al An’am 6:18

وَهُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ ۚ وَهُوَ الْحَكِيمُ الْخَبِيرُ

And He is the Irresistible (Supreme), above His slaves, and He is the All-Wise, Well¬Acquainted with all things

He is the Irresistible, Supreme over His slaves, and He sends guardians (angels guarding and writing all of one’s good and bad deeds) over you, until when death approaches one of you, Our Messengers (angel of death and his assistants) take his soul, and they never neglect their duty

Ar Ra’d 13: 16

قُلِ اللَّـهُ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ

” Say: “Allâh is the Creator of all things, He is the One, the Irresistible.”

On the Day when the earth will be changed to another earth and so will be the heavens, and they (all creatures) will appear before Allâh, the One, the Irresistible.

Al Qahhar (the Subduer) is a hyperbolic form of Qahhir (the Irresistable\). It means the All Compelling Who subdues His creation with His sovereignty and Power.

Ibn Kathir said that the verse 6: 61 : And He is Irresistible above His slaves means the One to whom people surrendered, to Whose Majesty and Sovereignty all powers are humbled and submitted.

Some scholars said al Qahhar means the One whose revenge is intolerable. the Subduer of strong and powerful wrong doers.

Allah tells us how He subdued wrong doers strongly and mercilessly such as the Pharoah, Haman and Ubay bin Khalaf and many others from ‘Ad and Thamud.

Allah also subdues all His slaves at death as in ayat 6: 61

Allah is the One subduer, is the one Who Alone has the right to be worshipped. Everyone else is subdued. In Surah Yusuf, Prophet Yusuf said to his friends in prison

Yusuf 12: 39-40

“O two companions of the prison! Are many different lords (gods) better or Allâh, the One, the Irresistible?(39) “You do not worship besides Him but only names which you have named (forged), you and your fathers,— for which Allâh has sent down no authority. The command (or the judgement) is for none but Allâh. He has commanded that you worship none but Him (i.e. His Monotheism), that is the (true) straight religion, but most men know not. (40)

The Day when they will (all) come out, nothing of them will be hidden from Allâh. Whose is the kingdom this Day? (Allâh Himself will reply to His Question): It is Allâh’s the One, the Irresistible!

The last ayah mentioned (in chronological order) is ayah 16 from Surah Ghafir. The ayah is very clear, explicit and dripping with majesty and grandeur. Allah (سبحانه وتعال) is telling us about the Day of Judgement, and how on that day when all of mankind will be summoned abruptly from their graves, nothing on that day will be hidden from Allah (سبحانه وتعال). The مَـٰلِكِ يَوۡمِ ٱلدِّين will show everyone who is the King and the Master on this day of chaos: it is none other than Allah, الْوَاحِدُ ٱلۡقَهَّارُ.

The mention of Al-Qahhar emphasizes in very clear and certain terms that Allah will subdue everyone and force everyone on that day to comply with His Will. For example, we know from Surah Tariq, ayah 10 that on the Day of Judgment, man will have neither power nor any helper except Allah, الْوَاحِدُ ٱلۡقَهَّارُ. We also know that no one can intercede for anyone except by Allah’s leave, nor can anyone help anyone else on this day. So truly, everyone without exception on this day will be subdued and forced to comply – willingly or unwillingly – with the Will of Allah and only Allah, الْوَاحِدُ ٱلۡقَهَّارُ, Exalted is He above the seven heavens (سبحانه وتعال).